Neihof's Notes

Competency

The core mission of our school district is to prepare every student to be a productive member of society. Our four-year strategic plan gives teachers permission to personalize learning for our kids and provides tools to do so. Now, almost halfway through the third year of the plan, a lot of teachers are finding out firsthand that personalizing the learning experience is the challenge of a lifetime, even with great digital tools.

Personalization for every student requires us to think in terms of competency, not time spent in a seat. In the next year, our shift to personalization will accelerate rapidly as teachers, parents and students learn to relate progression through school to demonstration of competency, instead of putting in the time to complete a grade level each year.